Stop being divisive . . .
Dear City of Madison Alders and Mayor Soglin,
From the Penn Park Rally in September of 2014, to the kick-off of Black Spring this past Wednesday, and for every peaceful march, teach-in, protest, fund raiser, youth summit, family event, demonstration, cook out and speaker series in between, the Robinson/Irwin Family, the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, the Youth for Tony Terrell Robinson, Freedom Inc., MOSES and the Dane County Boys and Girls Club have all in their own way supported this city during these hard times. They must be included in your honoring resolution 38475 recognizing community leaders and organizations for their contributions and support of our city in the wake of an officer involved shooting. Many of us who reside here, who were both directly and indirectly impacted by the shooting death of Tony Robinson, felt tremendous support by the aforementioned groups and could not have gotten through this tough time without them. They helped us grapple with justified anger, they maintained peace, they must be included.
Most of the groups we’ve mentioned are those that took the risky proposition of putting themselves “out there” for opportunists to ridicule, by organizing and facilitating community events for those feeling deep sadness and frustration surrounding the police-shooting death of one of our own teenagers. They wisely understood that failing to provide an outlet to express the rage and the pain in a way that authentically connects with those feelings essentially puts a lid on a boiling pot. These groups also led the city in providing our children with one of the most important civic lessons of their lifetime, in real time: the exercise of their civil rights. It may have seemed messy and unruly compared to some efforts, but historically, struggles for human rights always have. These organizations possess what every genuinely transformative moment requires: unforgiving truth.
To deliberately exclude these groups appears to be yet another attempt by those in power to create rifts between the moderate and more radical Black leaderships in our city. This is petty but unsurprising. Let us not forget White leadership playing this very same role in the 1960s and directly contributing to the conditions that led to the death of not one but two of our most quoted and beloved Black American leaders, among other tragedies.
It’s time for the most powerful in our city to stop being afraid of community leaders who challenge them to be their most compassionate and best selves, who challenge them to be better than they think they are.
We put it to all of you who believe the aforementioned groups deserve their share of this recognition to request they be included, but if they are not, to remove yourselves as a sponsor or recipient of this recognition.
Sincerely,
Amelia Royko Maurer
Nathan Royko Maurer
Greg Gelembiuk
Marina Kelly
Brenda Konkel
Lorrie Hurckes
Wendy Schneider
Craig Spalding
Stephanie Steigerwaldt
Sue Innipúki Breckenridge
Rick Rumpel
Kristin Forde
Ken Swift
Erik Beach
The status quo reveals itself yet again. Mediocrity at it’s best. This is where you take heart, the people on the fringe of the bell curve are the people who create change. No change will come from the people to whom you write. I wish the groups for change would start using the State Street Sidewalks for pedestrian walks during lunch and dinner. then the status quo would have to feel uncomfortable. Keep up your great work !